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Jeffrey Shallit
Recurrent thoughts about mathematics, science, politics, music, religion, and
Recurrent thoughts about mathematics, science, politics, music, religion, and
Recurrent thoughts about mathematics, science, politics, music, religion, and
Recurrent thoughts about ....
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Jeffrey Shallit
American mathematician, professor of computer science at a major Canadian university, & skeptic.
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Recursivity
Blog Archive
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2012
(133)
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November
(11)
- I'm Really Glad Steve Fuller is on Their Side
- "Says You" in Syracuse
- I Definitely Do Not Recommend This "Book" About Me
- Monckton Spoke at U. Western Ontario ?!?
- Chili Colorado
- The Kurt Mahler Archive
- Waterloo's Dubai Campus Fails, As Predicted
- Elections Past
- Greedy Millionaire Loses
- Most Americans are Not Crazy
- My Talk at the APL@50 Conference
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November
(11)
7 comments:
Rice flour works better than ordinary flour for thickening purposes.
Not specifically a better recipe, but in any stew/chilli/whatever where you are braising (which is what you are doing here) beef, the very first step is always to dry the beef thoroughly, season it with salt and pepper, dredge it in flour and brown it well on all sides before adding it to the other ingredients. Not only does this much improve the taste of the beef but the flour used on it will thicken the sauce.
If it is still not as thick as you like, there is a method to correct it. I forget for the moment the French term for it, but take cold butter and knead it into flour until you get a mixture that is not greasy (much more flour than butter). Break off pellets of the mixture and, at a low simmer, stir it into the stew etc. a bit at a time until it reaches the thickness you want.
I would not add flour. If you have the time, keep the stew simmering (not boiling!) and reduce the liquid out of the dish.
You cooked it for three hours and it was still too liquid? Perhaps take the lid off, or partially off, during simmering.
The following Recipe is a favorite with my children:
2 lbs meat (I use lean ground beef)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 8 oz. can water
1/4 cup chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp. Salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground Mexican Oregano
1 tsp. ground Cumin
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1 small or large Onion, chopped (depending on how much you like Onion)
0 to 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (0 for False Alarm, 1 for 4 Alarm Chili)
1/2 to 1 tsp Masa Harina Flour for thickening
Brown meat
Combine ingredients in Pot and simmer for 45 minutes
I have found this recipe to be very good.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/devons-award-winning-chili-recipe/index.html
I, too, don't have a specific recipe, but I've made chilli for years and have a few suggestions:
1. Searing the meat- I agree with John, very important to dry the meat well with a paper towel before searing. Seasoning the meat beyond salt and pepper probably isn't necessary (add seasonings to the liquid later and let the meat absorb flavor during braising).
2. Chiles - First, after removing stems and seeds etc. toast the chiles, this adds a ton of flavor; easiest way is to place chiles in a very hot, dry (no oil), cast iron pan. Heat until chiles just start to smoke (but not charred), should take a few minutes, then rehydrate as usual. Second, I'd be careful using the chile water when blending the chiles - depending on your chiles, this water can be very bitter, and if you're not careful, the chilli will end up being bitter too. I normally blend the chiles with water or stock, and keep the chile water in reserve to add later if needed. Third - use a lot of chiles, I use 10-20 anchos or new mexicans to make 5 qts of chile. Also, it’s not really necessary to blend the onions/garlic/peppers into the paste; you can chop those up and cook them in the same pan you used to sear the beef.
3. Seasonings – in addition to chile powder and cumin, you can add other spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove), chocolate or coffee. Add carefully, you don’t want to go overboard, but a little can really deepen the flavor.
4. Thickening – beurre manie like John describes will work, but make sure to cook for a long time to remove the uncooked flour taste. alternatively, make a 50/50 slurry of masa harina (or corn starch) and braising liquid, add back into pot and mix well.
5. A 3-hour braise is adequate to soften the meat and meld the flavors. A 6-hour braise is even better, and an overnight braise (in a dutch oven, in an oven set to 200-250 F; alternatively, you can use a crockpot) is ideal.
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